1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical fiber connectors assembly, especially to an SC type connector with capability of partly preassembled for the convenience of installation of an optical fiber cable thereof in a later time.
2. The Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional optical fiber SC type connector has a hollow insulative front housing 2' interconnecting a tubular metal rear housing 5' by means of a pair of protrusions 51' of rear housing 5' snugly received within the corresponding apertures 21' of the front housing 2' An alignment ferrule 3'extends through the combined unit of the front housing 2' and the rear housing 5' with a spring 4' axially surrounding the alignment ferrule 3' for providing a biased force against the rear housing 2' and the alignment ferrule 3'. A tubular crimping ferrule 6' has the large front portion 61' and the small rear portion 62' wherein the front portion 61' surrounds the rear section 52' of the rear housing 5' for sandwiching the strength members 92' of the optical fiber cable 9' therebetween, and the rear portion 62' incorporates a separate clamping ring 7' to fasten the split jacket 93' of the optical fiber cable 9' therebetween. A boot 8' attachably surrounds the clamping ring 7', the crimping ferrule 6' and the rear section 52' of the rear housing 5'. A coupling nut 1' is circumferentially positioned on the front housing 2', the rear housing 2' and a front portion of the boot 8' such that the front housing 2' can axially move with regard to the coupling nut 1' for engagement or disengagement with a complimentary connector. It is also noted that within the strength members the optical fiber cable 9' has coaxially the nylon buffer sheath 91' for cushioning and protecting the inner optical fiber 94'.
This type prior art connector includes a few components which complicate the assembling process and use a few amount of time when they are assembled with the optical fiber cable. Hence, U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,601 to Shibata discloses this type prior art connector in its FIGS. 16-19 labelled "PRIOR ART". In FIG. 6 of Shibata, an elongated slot along the rear housing is disposed thereof for allowance of radial installation of the optical fiber and its associated nylon buffer sheath. In FIG. 8 of Shibata, it also teaches two, i.e., the left and the right halves structure of the front housing and the rear housing for lateral (radial) combination of any pair of left half and the right half such that the fiber with its associated outer sheath can be easily sandwiched and installed therein. Although these two approaches may preclude axial loading of the fiber into the connector from the rear end which is inconvenient for an operator according to the description in Shibata, it is still required that the all components of the connector must be stored separately until a optical fiber cable is ready thereabout for assembling.
Generally, for the consideration of inventory management and time-saving issue in assembling, a communication system manufacturer intends to have a wholly or partly pre-assembled connector in hand when the operator attaches an optical fiber cable to the connector. Unfortunately, due to the possibility of contamination of the epoxy, i.e., adhesion, which is used to secure the outer surface of the nylon buffer sheath to the inner surface of alignment ferrule when the optical fiber cable is installed into the connector, no SC type connector discloses such pre-assembled structure till now. The reason is that the prior art alignment ferrule is much shorter than the rear housing and the rear end of the alignment ferrule is embedded within the interior of the rear housing. Thus, it is uneasy for an operator to insert an epoxy-coated buffer sheath and its inner fiber into the interior of the alignment ferrule from the rear end of the rear housing without having the epoxy inadvertently contaminate the interior of the rear housing where the fiber passes by, if such front housing, rear housing and the alignment ferrule have been assembled together as a semi-finished matter. As a result, the epoxy attached to the interior of the rear housing will jeopardize the expected bumper effect of the alignment ferrule which may axially moveable with regard to the housing originally.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an SC type connector assembly some parts of which may be pre-assembled as a semi-finished product so that the operator of a communication system manufacturer may easily and quickly attach the optical fiber cable thereto for saving his labor and time and increasing his efficiency.